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More water

I quick check Easter morning showed that there’s some seepage in our basement, a small 3 foot-by-3 foot area as another lake becomes unveiled in the backyard as the snow melts. We’re undecided about putting in drain tile, perhaps optioning for a second sump pump.

When I bought my home eight years ago, some flood protection was put in in 1997. A "beaver dam" was put in the basement around the exterior walls of the basement, above floor level. I thought my home was going to be watertight, but I’ve had some water at least four times as its owner. The problem is, the sump pump is absolutely in the wrong corner of the house and i’m not certain if there’s any or much drain tile that diverts water there. My sump is running about once an hour, so I assume it’s getting fed, but we’re looking at doing some drastic measures down there so we can resume the basement as a permanent place to hang out.

I guess my wife and I want to be sure what we do will work. We could add a second sump, hopefully catching some water in that area, reslope the landscaping and replace the gutters – all for less than adding full exterior drain tile. So it’s a big decision. Perhaps we won’t see water anyway for the next couple years if we’re all lucky, but something has to be done to help out the resale if we ever decide to move.

I’m curious if anyone knows much about the pre-development west of Concordia before the 1950s. I’ve heard my neighborhood was a slew back in the day and with my house sitting about 420 yards from the Red (thank you Google Earth), I’d assume the water under the house is trying to meander its way there.

On Saturday, I drove south of my home along the river and was greatly amazed at the amount of clay levees put up by the city. Then the mind wanders to the homes and people on the other side if the Red plowed through the first layer of protection.

Unfortunately, those choices all over the F-M area had to be made. Before the first crest, I wondered if the city considered those levees, and Mayor Mark Voxland later said that the city just didn’t have the time.

With the latest forecast showing a 39-foot second crest (doesn’t seem like much now does it?), my block sits anywhere between 41 and 42 feet, as does much of the neighborhood west of the college. I have to believe the Seventh Avenue are is a bit lower in parts, but I don’t mind the dikes. If we were to get a heavy rain and the river has 41- or 42-foot possibilities, keeping hundreds of homes dry from floodwaters is the right decision.